


What dreams are made of

by xylaria



Category: Eureka, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-28
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-09 20:03:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/777463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylaria/pseuds/xylaria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dreams aren't real, are they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astralis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralis/gifts).



> I took some liberties with the timelines in order to make everything fit together in the way I wanted. For the purposes of this story Zoe and Cassandra are the same age and Janet died in the year before the story takes place. Choose your favorite year of the last decade.
> 
> Also, while the show indicates that Zoe has a single room and that Carter has apparently never been to her dorm previously, I have conveniently ignored that.

“Hi.”

Zoe looked up from where she was putting her t-shirts into the dresser to see another girl standing awkwardly in the doorway. 

“I’m Cassie. I’m your roommate, I think? If you’re Zoe Carter?” She ducked her head, her brown hair falling to obscure her face. Before Zoe could introduce herself a voice called from the hallway.

“Alright Cass, where do you want this stuff?” A stack of boxes, jeaned legs visible underneath, appeared in the doorway. 

“Um,” Cassie glanced at Zoe and Zoe pointed to the side of the room free of her stuff. “Next to dresser. Straight ahead five steps and on the left.” She replied, stepping out of the way. The boxes, moved forward and the legs were revealed to belong to a middle aged man with brown hair and glasses. Spotting Zoe, he held out his hand.

“Hey, I’m Daniel, Cassie’s uncle.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Zoe.” Zoe shook his hand, bemused. Before she could say anything else, more walking stacks of boxes came through the door. Cassie directed them to the same area and they revealed a large black man wearing a beanie and a Hawaiian shirt, a grey haired man dressed in jeans and a USAF t-shirt and a blond woman wearing an MIT t-shirt. 

“Bold choice.” Zoe commented, nodding to the woman’s shirt. The woman grinned while the grey haired man rolled his eyes. 

“We’ll leave you to get settled in Cassie.” The blond woman said, turning towards Cassie who still stood by the door. “We’ll be back later with some pizza for dinner, just send me a text to let me know how many we’re feeding.” The woman (her mother?) gave Cassie a quick hug and was out the door.

“Have fun kiddo.”

“I will see you this evening Cassandra Fraiser.”

“Later Cass, nice to meet you Zoe.”

The rest of the group filed out the door until it was just Zoe and Cassie standing amidst the pile of boxes. 

“So, that is quite the moving crew.” Zoe said, once the silence had started to stretch to an uncomfortable length. Cassie shrugged. 

“They can be a bit overprotective. And my moving in happened to coincide with them getting some time off, otherwise it would have just been Sam, or maybe Uncle Jack.” Cassie walked over to her bed, opening a suitcase and starting to pull out shirts. “Did none of your family come to help you move in?” She asked, putting several t-shirts into the bureau. 

Zoe moved to continue with her unpacking. “My dad came with me, he’s checking into his hotel right now.” The silence stretched again. Zoe sighed, but decided not to push things if the other girl didn’t want to talk. 

They worked in uncomfortable silence, putting away clothes and books, making their beds. Zoe was just putting her last duffle bag away in the closet when she felt something move inside it. Opening one of the side pockets Zoe found a metal ring the size of her palm with an intricate weaving of wires crisscrossing the inside like a high tech dream catcher. Turning it over in her hand Zoe wondered where it had come from. It had the look of something from Eureka, but she couldn’t think of who would have put it in her bag. Or how it had made it through security at the airport for that matter. 

“Hey Zoe,” Zoe jumped as Cassie spoke for the first time in nearly an hour. “Sam and the guys are bringing by pizza for dinner before they have to leave, you and your dad want some?”

Quickly pocketing the strange device to poke at later, Zoe turned and smiled. “Yeah, sure, that sounds great. I’ll text my dad and let him know.”

Cassie grinned back. “And I’ll text Sam and tell her there are two more for dinner. Any particular toppings? Sam will probably get a Hawaiian, and a veggie and then they’ll play rock paper scissors to decide on the rest.”

Zoe laughed and shook her head. “My dad will eat just about anything, and I’m happy with veggie.” Cassie had pulled out her computer and was sitting cross-legged on her bed. Zoe copied her and they worked in a more companionable silence. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t friendlier earlier.” Cassie said after a while, her gaze still on her computer screen. “It’s just, things have been rough lately, and people always end up asking questions that are awkward, but they don’t realize they’re awkward because they’re normal questions and then I get upset and then everyone feels bad, but they shouldn’t. And I’m babbling.” She looked up and smiled at Zoe ruefully. 

“It’s OK,” Zoe replied, squishing her curiosity into a corner of her brain. “How about we make a deal. No questions about the past, family or what our lives were like before college. One of us has to volunteer the information to start the conversation.”

Cassie relaxed visibly with Zoe’s acceptance. “Deal. Thanks.”

Just then a knock sounded on the door. 

“Zoe, it’s me, can I come in?”

“Come on in Dad.” Zoe called back. Jack Carter opened the door and sauntered through. 

“Love what you’ve done with the place.” Zoe rolled her eyes.

“Dad, this is my roommate Cassie. Cassie, my dad Jack Carter.”

“Nice to meet you Sir.”

“I’m no sir, just call me Jack.” Jack pulled out Zoe’s desk chair and straddled it backwards. “So what are you girls up to?”

“Oh, you know.” Zoe shrugged, closing her laptop. Cassie’s phone dinged.

“Sam says they’ll be here with the pizza in about five minutes.” Cassie looked around. “Though I don’t know where everyone will sit.”

“Who’s Sam?” Jack asked.

“My aunt.” Cassie replied, setting her computer aside as well. “She and my uncles came and helped move me in. They’ll be heading back to Colorado in the morning.”

Zoe blinked. All three of those men were Cassie’s uncles? Zoe’s confusion must have shown on her face because Cassie smiled and said, “I’m adopted.” While Zoe was still working to puzzle that out, another knock came at the door. 

“Come on in Sam,” Cassie yelled. Sam opened the door and came in, followed by the same three guys as before, though this time only the large black man was carrying boxes. 

“Where shall I put these Cassandra Fraiser?” 

“The desk is fine, Murray. Some of you guys might have to sit on the floor or my bed though, we only have the two chairs.”

Introductions went around, but when Sam shook Zoe’s hand, she frowned briefly before smoothing her face into a polite smile.

Everyone settled down with their chosen pizza slices; the two Jacks sat at the desks while Murray sat on the floor and Sam sat next to Cassie on her bed. They made small talk while they ate, comparing weather in Eureka and Colorado Springs, what movies they had seen, the best bands, Star Trek versus Star Wars. Through the whole meal Zoe watched as Cassie’s aunt and uncles had an entirely different conversation just by looking at each other. 

As they were gathering together to leave, Sam pulled Cassie aside in the far corner of the room. She whispered something and Cassie glanced over Sam’s shoulder at Zoe with an alarmed look on her face. Zoe watched the following intense conversation with interest until one of Cassie’s uncles noticed and the three of them moved to join the conversation and effectively block Cassie from sight.

“What’s that about?” Jack asked, sitting on the bed next to Zoe.

“I have no idea.” They both sat and watched the huddle, though all they could see was Murray’s broad back and Daniel’s waving hands. Finally the huddle broke and they went about goodbyes as if nothing strange had been going on at all. 

Zoe and Jack exchanged glances as the Colorado Springs crew filed out the door with a last round of hugs for Cassie. 

“I could sleep on your doorstep,” Jack offered, which was enough for Zoe to shoo him out the door as well. Finally it was just Zoe and Cassie in their room.

“So, what was that about?” Zoe asked after a short silence. Cassie shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

“They’re just being overprotective. They see a lot of bad stuff at work, and now they see it everywhere.” Cassie turned away, and began pulling out her pajamas and toothbrush. Zoe shook her head and began getting ready for bed herself. 

***

_Zoe looked up and down the grey hallway, wondering where she was. One of the tunnels under GD maybe? While she was still standing there, trying to decide what to do, sirens blared out up and down the corridor, lights casting everything in a red strobe. A second later Cassie came barreling around the corner, followed by Martha._

_“Unscheduled off world activation,” blared from Martha’s speakers._

_Cassie was shouting something at her, but Zoe couldn’t hear over the noise of the klaxons. Drawing even with her, Cassie grabbed her arm and started pulling her along behind her._

_“The goold got through the iris. We’ve got to get out of here!” Cassie shouted in her ear. But to Zoe’s horror, she started to turn to stone, starting at her feet. She couldn’t run, but Cassie kept tugging at her hand yelling about ghoul’s getting through the gate. Then Cassie screamed and dropped Zoe’s hand and left her._

_Looking behind her, Zoe saw Vince, Allison, Pilar, Lucas, Jo, Zane, Henry coming around the corner, and behind them more people from Eureka. But instead of their normal clothes they wore garish Halloween costumes and their eyes glowed. Zoe looked around for Martha, but she was gone, apparently having followed Cassie in her flight. Vincent was closer now, and he reached out a hand in front of him, the jewel in his palm glowing…_

Zoe woke with a start. Shaking her head to clear it she sat up and reached for her bedside lamp. Only after she turned it on did she remember that she had a roommate now. Glancing over at Cassie she saw her consideration came too late. Cassie was sitting up in bed, rubbing at her eyes. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I just had a weird dream and forgot I had a roommate for a second when I woke up.”

Cassie shook her head, reaching over to turn on her light as well.

“It’s OK, I was awake. I had a weird dream too. Actually, you were in it. What was yours about?”

Zoe grinned. “You were in my dream too. I was in some kind of underground hallway when alarms started going off and you came running and told me the ghouls were coming. And then I turned…” Zoe trailed off at the look on Cassie’s face. Without saying a word Cassie grabbed her phone and dialed.

“Zoe and I just had the same dream. Actually I think we shared the dream. Could… Yeah, OK. See you in a bit.” Cassie set the phone down on her covers and stared at Zoe. “Sam will be up here in a sec, she’ll help us figure out what’s going on.”

“Wha...” A nock at the door interrupted Zoe. 

“Come on in Sam.” Cassie called. Sam opened the door and slipped in. She was dressed in the same jeans an MIT t-shirt she had been wearing earlier, with a jacket thrown over it to fend off the nighttime chill. Sam walked straight over to Zoe and shook her hand. But as their hands touched Sam’s gaze went immediately over Zoe’s shoulder to where she had hung Zane’s failed dream catcher at the head of her bed. 

“Where’d you get that?” She asked, reaching out for the dream catcher. Before she touched it though, a blue spark shot from it to Sam’s finger. Sam’s gaze went distant for a second and she swayed on her feet. Cassie jumped out of her bed and steadied Sam while leading her to one of the desk chairs. 

“Sam! What happened? Do I need to call Uncle Jack?” Cassie knelt by the chair, one hand on Sam’s shoulder, brow creased with worry. Cassie was just reaching for her phone when Sam seemed to snap out of it. 

“That was some dream you girls had.” She commented, rubbing her forehead. “I’m fine Cassie.” She grasped Cassie’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “Zoe, where did you get that dream catcher?” Zoe hesitated. Zane probably should never have given her even failed GD tech to take out of Eureka without some kind of official sanction. 

“It’s important Zoe.” Sam said, seeing Zoe’s hesitation. 

“A friend from home gave it to me. He said it was a failed experiment.”

“And this friend works at GD in Eureka.” Sam asked, though it wasn’t a question. She nodded decisively. “I think I know what is going on, but I need to take your dream catcher with me.” When Zoe hesitated Sam quickly spoke to reassure her. “I work at, lets just say an Area 51 affiliate. I can go through all the proper channels and have Director Fargo authorize it, if it would make you feel better.”

Zoe quickly shook her head. Grabbing a washcloth she wrapped the dream catcher in it and handed it to Sam. Careful to keep it wrapped and not touch it, Sam took it and shoved it in her back pocket. 

“Cassie, I’m sorry. I need to get this back to my lab. Are you OK here now?” Cassie nodded, wrapping Sam in a tight hug. “I’ll see you in a couple of months.” And then Sam was gone out the door. 

Zoe stood, looking at her new roommate. “I can see why you don’t like talking about your past.” Cassie smiled ruefully.

“It’s complicated. But if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”


	2. Bonus snippet

“Dissect the semispinalis capitis revealing the rectus capitis posterior minor and major, and the obliquus capitis inferior and superior.”

Cassie lifted her scalpal and pickups and started to dissect out the second layer of muscles in the back of their cadaver’s neck. 

“How about lasagna?” Cassie said, picking up their earlier conversation from before they’d paused for directions. Trading her scalpel for a probe and sliding it under the edge of the muscle, Cassie began to peel the muscle back bit by bit. “I went to the farmer’s market yesterday and got….” She trailed off has she as the muscle pulled back to reveal something shiny and white. 

As she watched, the white mass writhed and the cadaver began to move. It’s head rolled to the side, the loose muscles flapping grotesquely. Cassie backed up until she bumped into the wall. Why wasn’t Zoe moving? Why didn’t anyone else seem to notice? As the head turned the face became clear. Sam’s face had been sliced and mangled, flaps of skin having nothing to do with dissection hanging of her cheek, her skin the sickly artificial pink of preservatives. As Cassie watched in horror Sam’s eyes flashed and one arm reached up out of the body bag toward her…

Cassie woke with a gasp, her heart racing. The numbers on her alarm clock read 04:53. Scrambling at her bedside table Cassie found her phone and pushed a button to light up the screen. The password screen glowed up at her. No texts, no missed calls. 

“Cassie, you okay?” Zoe’s sleepy voice drifted from the other side of the room. 

“Yeah,” Cassie forced her voice calm. “Just a bad dream.” There was a rustling, then Cassie blinked as Zoe’s bedside lamp bathed the room in a warm golden light.   
“Still no word from your aunt and uncles?”

Cassie shook her head, sitting up in bed and pulling her knees to her chest.

“You’d think I would be used to it by now, I mean, they’ve been doing this as long as I've known them. Since I was 10 years old."

“Which doesn’t make it any easier.” They sat in silence for a while, all the ways SG1 could have gotten into trouble running through Cassie’s head. Finally, Zoe spoke again. “You know Sam or Jack will contact you as soon as anything happens. You may as well sleep, because either you will need to be rested because something horrible happened or you’ll need to be rested because we have an anatomy practical tomorrow”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “You are so comforting Zoe. OK, but you know I won’t actually sleep.” Cassie lay down, phone still clutched in her hand, and Zoe reached over and turned off the light. The light had been out for no more than 30 seconds when Cassie’s phone dinged. Hurriedly she brought it out from under the covers. 

All back safe. Sorry we were late. Daniel found a book.

Cassie grinned. 

“All safe?” Zoe asked.

“Yup, all safe and sound.”


End file.
